The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting unanimously approved a request from the Department of Public Works that ultimately will reduce the noise levels created by the chiller sound barriers on the south side of Town Hall.
The chillers alongside Town Hall. Credit: Emilia Savini
New Canaan will enter contracts with Hoover Treated Wood Products and Gannon Rustic Fences at a total cost of $18,191.
The sound barrier closes the loop on an ongoing dispute between the town and next-door neighbor Cody Real Estate. When Town Hall was renovated and expanded, the chillers were placed on the south side of the building, adjacent to commercial buildings owned by Cody. The company said that the noisiness of the chillers were prohibitively loud, especially if the commercial properties were to be developed to include second-floor residential units.
Attorney Stuart Johnson filed an appeal at Town Hall on behalf of Cody, concerning the noise levels of Town Hall’s chillers.
To address the concerns of Cody Real Estate, DPW senior engineer Joseph Zagarenski said town officials developed a plan to create a sound barrier between the two properties.
At the meeting, held May 31 in Town Hall, Zagarenski said: “This is to install a horseshoe-shaped sound barrier between the Cody property and the chillers. It is a pre-engineered sound barrier system created by Plywall and it has a guaranteed a 7-decibel drop.”